After years of obscurity, the idea of fluoridating the water supply is back. Provincial public-health officials are pressing the Parti Québécois to retreat from its 2012 election pledge to end all fluoridation of water. The PQ government’s health minister, Réjean Hébert, favours a U-turn in principle, but he says he won’t urge municipalities to fluoridate their water unless popular opinion backs him. Public-health officials will therefore soon launch a pro-fluoride PR campaign. Is fluoridating drinking water to reduce cavities in teeth a good idea? It’s hard for ordinary lay people, such as myself, to know where the truth lies in this extremely controversial question. But I am sure of this: The question is complex, and the habit of many fluoride proponents to portray their critics as nitwits is uncalled for. Because fluoride accumulates in bones, the elderly often have considerable amounts of the chemical. In 2006, the U.S. National Academies of Science’s 12-member Committee on Fluoride in Drinking Water concluded, “Overall, there was consensus that there is scientific evidence that under certain conditions fluoride can weaken the bones and increase the risk of fracture.” Given the aging of the population, this possibility could be of growing importance. There’s got to be a better way. Maybe the province could distribute toothbrushes and fluoridated toothpaste in schools located in low-income areas. Maybe Quebec could follow the example of France, Germany, Switzerland and several other European countries and fluoridate table salt instead of water. When Quebec public-health officials try to persuade you that fluoridated water is the surefire way to go, skepticism is in order.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 12:51:51 +0000
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